Caroles Lappy.

[Mac]

Update.

Weird and wonderful problems with your vista laptop.
I,ve made your D drive half the size so you now have three partitions.

c: Vista 60gig.
d: blank 30gig
F: blank 30 gig

Your CD is still E.

Gents, any ideas,
Xp wont install on this system at all! Keeps blue screening.
I've tried various XP install disks.
XP OEM.
XP Retail & XP corporate.
win2000
None want to install, they just keep blue screening.

I know they work as i've used the oem one to install XP on Carols other laptop.

Error codes. 0x0000007B, which when you look them up is as follows

Stop 0x0000007B or INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE

The Stop 0x7B message indicates that Windows XP has lost access to the system partition or boot volume during the startup process. Installing incorrect device drivers when installing or upgrading storage adapter hardware typically causes stop 0x7B errors. Stop 0x7B errors could also indicate possible virus infection.

The second parameter is very important because it can indicate whether the 0x7B Stop message was caused by file system issues or problems with storage hardware and drivers. Values of 0xC000034 or 0xC000000E typically indicate:

•   Disks or storage controllers that are failing, defective, or improperly configured.

•   Storage-related drivers or programs (tape management software, for example) that are not fully compatible with Windows XP Professional.

don't want to start playing around with the boot volume as I don't really want to loose the vista partition.
I think my vista install disk is in the garden as a bird scarer.

Cant be sure if the cd has lost the boot device or it cant see any of the partitions.
Any ideas?

I was also looking at frigging the vista boot loader but again not having any Vista disks, i wont be able to undo any real problems.

At the moment Carol, i've reformatted your other PC and have installed XP, just in the process of installing other asto software at the moment..
You will need to install drivers for your cameras ect, but this one should work as its a completely clean install.

[Ian]

I would give it a full memcheck workout to start with.

[mickw]

I seem to remember that some "badged" PCs have a bios that will look for a hidden sector when installing an OS - Compaq and PBell spring to mind.
Something to do with using a single master disk by retailers/techies to install different OSs and parameters on different machines.

Is it possible to move Vista to a different partition then install XP on the now empty one ?
Can you install a different HD and format it ?

[Carole]

Oh dear!!
Sorry you're having a lot of problems Mac.
I seem to be fated to have laptops/hardware/software that doesn't do what it's supposed to do.
i.e. SC3 camera won't work in LX (spent months on that), PHD wouldn't install without some additonal software on Vista, PHD downloaded but would not work on the XP (maybe it might now it's had a re-install).

If all fails, just leave it with Vista only on one laptop and XP on the other Mac, I don't want you to spend lots of time on it.  

I probably only need to have XP working for doing planetary (now Mark has got PHD working on Vista for me), and if you've managed to do a re-install on the old XP laptop, I will have to do planetary imaging on that and guiding on the Vista with two laptops running.  Needless to say this will have to be reserved for imaging at home so I don't have to buy and carry another 12V battery.

Thanks for your efforts so far Mac.

Carole

[Mac]

Carol I'd just dump vista, and get on with xp, now its a fresh install.

Is it possible to move Vista to a different partition then install XP on the now empty one ?

It is , but i dont think thats going to solve the problem,
There are two blank partitions. moving vista wont change the fact that there are two blank partitions, just in a different order

As i said i dont have a vista install disk, they are in the garden being used as a bird scarer. so if anything did go wrong.
I wont be able to undo any problems.

As for the bios, it shouldn't stop the HD from being visible to any operating system.
it defeats the object if the bios hides the HD, as the operating wont be able to  install itself.

If i remember they (Microsoft) changed the NT file format for vista, but i should still be able to see the partitions, just as unrecognised ones.

Even when you install xp on a Linux machine it will still show the partitions up. they are just unrecognised.

Slowly hitting head against wall.

[RobertM]

What a nightmare !!!

[mickw]

XP isn't sulking and wanting a formatted partition ?
Or a 64 bit conflict ?

Just clutching at straws 

[Carole]

Don't do any more Mac, with a fresh install on XP, if it's working OK again, then hopefully I will have all I need.  Did you happen to find out why XP laptop was behaving strangely, or did you just go straight in for a re-install?

PM me and let me know when it's convenient to pick them up.

Carole

[Mac]

Did you happen to find out why XP laptop was behaving strangely, or did you just go straight in for a re-install?

Nope, just went for a reinstall. that was fun as well.
I've still got to install some astro software on there for you which i should get done tomorrow at some point.
I did make a list of some of the stuff you had on there.
Deep sky stacker.
PHD
A Few others,
I'll dig out a better Fit driver for photoshop,
you just need to install all your drivers for your camera's ect.

XP isn't sulking and wanting a formatted partition ?

I thought that, but dosent look like it, it seems to load all the bits and pieces before it asks you to select the partition.
i.e. F6 for raid ect, and then it just sticks two fingers up and leaves. It dosent even shut the door.

Or a 64 bit conflict ?

I thought of that.
i'll have to check it tomorrow when i kick the living daylights out if it reboot it.
pretty sure its not a 64bit machine. Theres nothing on the outside to say it is, and all the ones i have seen
do like to advertise the fact that your looking at a 64bit machine.

I like these challenges, just some more knowledge to add to the ever expanding problem list of Microsoft
incompatibilities.

Mac.

[mickw]

not a 64bit machine. Theres nothing on the outside to say it is,

Carole hasn't been picking labels off has she 

I can't remember but in the BIOS can you disable/ignore a logical drive ?
You could hide Vista - That's assuming Vista is the cause of the problems.

Carole, what do you actually use on Vista that you can't use on XP ?

[Carole]

Carole hasn't been picking labels off has she

Nope.  It probably still has a label on it saying it has MacAfee but I got rid of that and installed free PCGuard from my ISP.

Carole, what do you actually use on Vista that you can't use on XP ?

Well there was the PHD (once I got it to install - remember the scenario?) PHD used to crash on XP and wouldn't recognise the camera.

The XP doesn't have much space on it whereas the VISTA has much more and I haven't tried imaging with the DSLR on the XP.  The EOS Utility software downloads all the RAW files to the laptop, so I am not sure about how much space there is and how many subs it would take.  It doesn't matter after the imaging session is over as I transfer the captured subs to memory stick and then my desktop for processing.

Carole

[Mike]

Try a firmware upgrade of the bios

[Mac]

Theres plenty of space now,
20 gig.
My telescope xp only has 10 gig, and like yourself , i transfer all my photos over when i've finished.

[Carole]

Theres plenty of space now,
20 gig.

great, that probably means a lot of the un-needed stuff got thrown away.

Thanks a lot Mac.